Annotation:Comhra Donn (An)

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COMHRA DONN, AN ("The Brown Casket" or "The Brown Chest"). AKA and see "Cófra Donn (An)," "Brown Casket (The)," "Ó Murchú's Hornpipe," "O'Connor Donn's (2)," "Star of Bethlehem (The)." Irish, Hornpipe. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The alternate title "O'Connor Donn's" is a corruption (a 'Mondegreen') of the Gaelic title. See also the melodically similar (in the 'A' part) "Bonaparte Crossing the Rhine (1)," "Centenary March (The)," "Caledonian March," as well as the English "Durham Rangers" family of tunes. The Chieftains have recorded tune twice, first as "An Comhra Donn" on their eponymous 1963 album, and again in 1991 under the title "Ó Murchú's Hornpipe."

Sources for notated versions: accordion player Sonny Brogan (County Sligo/Dublin, Ireland) [Breathnach]; Chieftains [Carlin, Sullivan]; set dance music recorded at Na Píobairí Uilleann, late 1980's [Taylor].

Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ I), 1963; No. 210, p. 85. Carlin (English Concertina), 1977; p. 33. Sullivan (Session Tunes), vol. 3; No. 29, p. 11. Taylor (Music for the Sets: Blue Book), 1995; p. 22. Vallely (Learn to Play the Fiddle with Armagh Pipers Club), 197?; No. 31, p. 30.

Recorded sources: Green Linnet GLCD 1127, "Martin Hayes" (1993. Appears as "The Brown Coffin"). RCA 09026-60916-2, The Chieftains - "An Irish Evening" (1991, Appears as "Ó Murchú's Hornpipe").